VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE

Transcription

1 VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan October 15, 2012 Department of Public Works 51 Raupp Boulevard Buffalo Grove, IL

2 Table of Contents Mission Statement...3 Introduction...3 Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)...3 Arrival of EAB in Illinois and Buffalo Grove...4 How EAB impacts Buffalo Grove...4 Management of Emerald Ash Borer...6 Response Timeline...6 Diagram Tree Removals...6 Phase Phase Phase Phase Tree Replacements...7 Purchase Purchase Purchase Growing Growing Other Contract Work...8 Resident Notification of Parkway Tree Removals...8 Reforestation...9 Privately Owned Ash Trees...9 Tree Treatments...9 Exhibits

3 Mission Statement The mission of the Village of Buffalo Grove Urban Forestry Program is to proactively manage the municipal urban forest in a professional, arboricultural, and cost effective manner while providing innovative and effective services to our resident that are designed to preserve and improve the health, safety, and natural beauty of our urban forest. Introduction Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a highly destructive, tree-killing insect that has been identified in the Village of Buffalo Grove s urban forest. The unfortunate arrival of EAB will have a serious impact to Buffalo Grove s environment and budget for many years to come. Over one third of the trees in Buffalo Grove s urban forest are in jeopardy. The Village began to prepare for the arrival of EAB in 2002 when it was first discovered in the United States. The purpose of this management plan is to manage EAB through the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Through these principles, the Village can take a fiscally responsible approach to this problem while limiting the hazards to our residents, property, and environment. The Village of Buffalo Grove has been a Tree City USA for over twenty years. The trees in our urban forest provide many social and economic benefits which are often overlooked. According to the USDA Forest Service, some benefits of our trees include helping cool temperatures in summer, improving real estate values, reducing storm water runoff, improving air quality, attracting wildlife, attracting shoppers to commercial areas, and contributing to the overall sense of community pride. These social and economic benefits are the reasons the Village of Buffalo Grove remains a desirable place to live and why the Village continues to commit to the care and maintenance of its urban forest. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Emerald Ash Borer was detected first in the Detroit, Michigan area in June By the time EAB was discovered in Detroit, many ash trees were in decline and dying at an alarming rate. It has been estimated that EAB went unnoticed for 5-10 years. In those 5-10 years EAB was allowed to spread to neighboring states through cargo, wood packing material, and the transportation of nursery stock and firewood. The infestation of EAB had spread to fifteen states and two Canadian provinces by

4 The adult form of Emerald Ash Borer is a dark metallic green beetle about 1/2 in length and 1/8 wide. The adults can be present in ash trees from April 30 th through September 1 st, the flight season. During this time adult beetles mature while feeding on the Ash foliage. The adult beetles (Pic. 1) then mate and lay eggs on branches and on the trunk of trees. The hatched larvae (Pic. 2) bore into the bark, reaching the cambial region and phloem, where they feed and create serpentine galleries (Pic. 3) under the bark. Pic. 1: Adult EAB Pic. 2: Larva EAB Pic. 3: Serpentine Gallery This larval stage causes the most damage and overall death to the ash tree. The serpentine galleries created by the feeding larvae cut off water and food supplies to the tree, causing death. All native ash trees are susceptible to an attack from EAB. Ash native to Illinois that are susceptible include Green, White, Black, and Blue Ash. EAB does not infest the Mountain Ash, since it is not a true Ash species. Arrival of EAB in Illinois and Buffalo Grove In June of 2006, EAB was first discovered in Illinois, in the yard of a Kane County home. Very soon after, EAB was discovered in a few of the north-shore communities around Chicago. In the years that followed EAB was slowly discovered in more neighboring communities. Then in September of 2009, EAB was confirmed in Buffalo Grove on private property in the corporate area off Barclay Boulevard. After the discovery of EAB in the Village of Buffalo Grove, an ISA Certified Arborist on staff with the Forestry and Grounds Section began a ground survey in that area. Soon after the survey began, EAB was confirmed in a parkway tree by the intersection of Joel Lane and Parkchester Road. Six more infested Ash trees were discovered with EAB infestation in that area after a more comprehensive survey was conducted. By the end of 2010, over 40 more locations were confirmed to be infested with EAB in Buffalo Grove. By 2012, EAB has been confirmed in areas throughout the Village and it is assumed that all Ash trees in the Village have been infested. How EAB Impacts Buffalo Grove The Village of Buffalo Grove maintains 20,446 trees in the parkways and Village owned properties. The tree population is made up of 73 different species with an estimated value of $30,131,275. The value of public trees in the Village is determined to be $ per inch of Diameter at Breast Height (DBH). The tree inventory is updated as the Forestry and Grounds Section trim in cycle and as work order trimming is completed. 4

5 Ash (Fraxinus), Maple (Acer), and Locust (Gleditsia) trees make up the majority of Buffalo Grove s urban forest. The ash tree was the most planted tree in the Village and has not been planted in a Village parkway or Village owned property since Ash trees make up approximately 34% of all trees in the Village, with an approximate value of $11,546,100. The Ash tree population in the Village of Buffalo Grove consists of five different species. Green Ash is responsible for 79% of our Ash population. White Ash is second at 19% with Common, Black, and Blue Ash each representing 1% or less. The Ash tree has been popular for many years because of a brilliant fall color and rapid growth rate. For these reasons Ash has been available at nurseries and garden centers for many years at affordable prices. The Village of Buffalo Grove does not have an inventory of trees on private property. This makes it difficult to determine an actual number of privately owned Ash. It has been estimated by some communities that a ratio of two private Ash for every one parkway Ash exists. With this ratio, the estimate of privately owned Ash trees in Buffalo Grove would be 13,580 trees. All Ash trees in Buffalo Grove are susceptible to the Emerald Ash Borer. With this in mind, the control of EAB in our parkways and Village owned properties will be more difficult. The loss of trees in our urban forest will be widespread. 5

6 Management of Emerald Ash Borer When this management plan was first developed in 2010, the goal was to take a methodical, proactive approach to slow the spread of EAB in Buffalo Grove. Just two years later, all Ash trees within the Village appear to be infested thus necessitating a move to villagewide Ash tree removal and replacement. At the August 16, 2012 EAB Update meeting of OVM and PW Village Staff, a determination was made that the Village should attempt to replant within one year those locations where Ash trees are being removed due to the Emerald Ash Borer. A review of the current plight of Ash trees in the Village was performed by Forestry and Engineering staff and the following recommendations are being made to provide a hybrid approach of tree buying and tree growing to provide 7,000 replacement trees on a just-in-time basis from Response Timeline Public Works is recommending a 4-phase approach to tree removals from Tree replacements would then be provided through mature (2.5 diameter) tree purchases and contractual tree growing. A diagram of the proposed timeline is provided in Diagram 1. Diagram 1 Tree Removals To date, Ash tree removals have been occurring on an as-needed basis. While all trees in the Village appear to be infested with EAB, only those trees that are displaying significant decline are being taken down at this time. It is anticipated that this spot-removal approach will continue until the beginning of 2014 at which time areawide removals would begin to take place. All trees would be planned to be removed by 2016 through a combination of in-house staff and outside contractor work in four phases. 6

7 Phase 1 In Phase 1, approximately 700 total trees are scheduled to be removed by the end of This phase is currently underway and is being handled by in-house Forestry crews. Many trees have already been removed and stump grinding activities will consume available man-hours through the end of the year. Public Works will be obtaining pricing on a larger, more efficient stump grinder to support this activity. Phase 2 Phase 2 would mark the start of outside contractor tree removal assistance. An Authorization to Bid a contract covering tree removal, stump grinding, and parkway restoration activities was presented to the Village Board on September 10, It is anticipated that 1,000 troubled Ash trees will need to be removed under this contract in Phase 3 Phase 3 would continue a second year of contractual tree removals with an increase in the number of troubled Ash trees being projected. In 2014 it is anticipated that 2,000 trees would need to be removed. Phase 4 Phase 4 would conclude the contractual tree removal contract with the remaining 3,183 Ash trees being removed in Tree Replacements In order to meet a goal of replacing removed trees within one-year, a combination of tree purchasing and tree growing will need to be implemented. 2,700 trees would be purchased and 4,300 trees would be grown. As shown in Diagram 1 above, three purchase groups and two growing groups are being proposed to balance time and cost metrics. It is cheaper to enter growing contracts but the first trees will not be available until Fall of 2014 at the earliest. Therefore, purchased trees will be needed in the early stage, with grown trees filling in the heavy demand at the end of the timeline. Purchase 1 A total of 700 trees will be needed in the Fall 2012/Spring 2013 planting seasons to replace trees removed during Our current contract for Parkway Tree Replacements will be used to fill this need at St. Aubin s Nursery. Forestry staff will be going out to tag healthy trees at the nursery in late September to cover this batch of plantings. Purchase 2 In order to replace the 1,000 trees removed in 2013, a purchase of 1,000 trees will need to be made for the Fall 2013/Spring 2014 planting seasons. Public Works will determine if the current nursery contract will handle this demand. If not, a bid authorization will be requested through the Village Board. Purchase 3 Purchase 3 would also total 1,000 trees and would be used to supplement the 1,000 grown trees anticipated to be ready in the Fall 2014/Spring Between the two, 2,000 trees will be available to replace the 2,000 trees removed in

8 Growing 1 Tree growing contract #1 has already been awarded by the Village Board. 1,000 trees are currently in the ground and under drip irrigation at St. Aubin s Nursery. It is anticipated that these trees will be near the desired 2.5 minimum diameter beginning in Fall of 2014 and continuing through Spring and Fall Certain tree types need to be planted in the Spring, so the actual planting schedule will vary depending on the type of tree. Growing 2 Tree growing contract #2 was awarded by the Village Board on September 10, 2012, for an additional 3,300 trees. These trees would be ready for transplanting in the Village beginning in Fall 2015 and would complete replacement of all Ash trees in the Village. Other Contract Work While the tree purchasing contracts will include the labor needed to plant the trees in the Village, two other contracts will be needed. A specific tree planting contract will be needed to transport and plant our grown trees from the nursery beginning in the Fall of And, with so many young trees being added to our urban forest at once, a tree watering contract will be needed as watering activities begin to exceed in-house capabilities in The Village has also made contact with two nearby companies in efforts to better utilize the Ash wood generated by tree removal: G.H. Woodworking in Wauconda and Horigan Urban Forest Products, Inc. in Skokie. Any large sections of trees that can be donated to these companies for free haul away will save space, money, and landfill waste as removal efforts increase. Resident Notification of Parkway Tree Removals All parkway Ash trees identified with EAB will be removed. Currently, spot removals are being performed for trees which are 75 to 100% compromised. As the infestation progresses and entire neighborhoods become affected, removal activities will shift from spot removal to area-wide removal. This will be a dramatic impact on the urban forest in several Buffalo Grove neighborhoods. To that end, it will be important to notify residents. Residents will be directly notified by one of the following methods: Personal Contact A member of the Forestry and Grounds Section will knock, or ring the door bell, to notify residents that a particular Ash tree will be removed from the parkway. Door Tag- If contact is not made at the front door, a door tag will be hung from the front door with a brief description stating that the tree was identified with EAB and removal was necessary. Mailing If multiple Ash trees are identified for removal in a given area, a formal letter to the affected residents will be sent by Public Works ahead of the mass removal. The letter will state an estimated time for removal activities. In addition to these direct communications to affected residents, the Office of the Village Manager will coordinate a community wide public relations effort via the Village Newsletter, enews, and the website at to keep the community up to date on the latest EAB information. 8

9 Reforestation As reforestation occurs, the Village of Buffalo Grove will endeavor to properly diversify the urban forest. Forestry experts recommend a Rule where no more than 10% of any species, 20% of any genus, and 30% of any family of tree are planted. This diversification will help prevent another wide spread event and protect against unusual pests and weather conditions in the future. Currently the Village is sufficiently planted with Linden, Locust, and Maple trees. Replacement trees being purchased and grown to replace Ash trees will be a healthy mix of Oak, Elm, Birch, Tulip, Crab, Sycamore, Hackberry, Pears, Horse Chestnut, Catalpa, Buckeye, and Kentucky Coffee Tree. It is the goal of the Village of Buffalo Grove to replant trees within one year of an Ash tree removal. Trees survive best when planted at an appropriate time, per specific species, in the Spring and Fall seasons. The type of trees available, necessary planting conditions and other factors keep the Village from immediately replacing trees. But, it is the goal of the Village to insure healthy replacement trees are given every opportunity to survive. The Village will be solely responsible for choosing the type of tree to be planted at each parkway tree site. This will insure diversity and efficiency in replacing 7,000 Ash trees. Replacement trees are planned to be a nominal 2-1/2 diameter. The Village does not suggest that larger trees be purchased for replacement. Besides a higher cost, there is additional stress placed on larger trees when moved from the nursery to Buffalo Grove parkways. A 2-1/2 or smaller tree will establish itself and recover quicker, soon catching up to any larger tree stock under similar environmental conditions. Privately Owned Ash Trees The Village of Buffalo Grove does not remove or treat trees on private property. However, Buffalo Grove recognizes the fact that many businesses and residences have Ash trees on their properties. If a privately owned Ash tree is determined to be a public nuisance, the Director of Public Works or his designee has the authority to order removal of the tree under the Buffalo Grove Municipal Code, Trees, Shrubs, and Other Plants. Tree Treatments There are insecticides available which can control EAB, but none of them are guaranteed at this time. Due to the number of Village owned Ash trees, the cost to treat infected trees and the lack of scientific evidence to support the efficacy of treatment, the Village will not be treating parkway trees for EAB. 9

10 Residents may elect to have their parkway trees treated at their cost by a licensed arborist. If a resident wishes to have their parkway Ash tree(s) treated, it is required to provide the Public Works Department with the following information: Resident Name Location of Tree(s) (address) Name, Address, and Phone Number of Company Treating Tree Name of Chemical Used Date Treated This information is needed to prevent removal of treated trees during area wide removal programs. However, if the Village determines that a parkway Ash tree becomes a hazard, it will be removed regardless of any treatments that may have been provided for by the resident. Updating the Management Plan The Village of Buffalo Grove s Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan will be reviewed by the Director of Public Works or designee on an annual basis. This review is vital in order to maintain a plan which corresponds to and effectively addresses current EAB infestation levels. All suggested changes will be brought to the Village Board for review and adoption of an updated plan. Exhibits Exhibit 1: Map showing current Ash tree locations in the Village Exhibit 2: September/October 2012 Village News article entitled Emerald Ash Borer in Buffalo Grove Exhibit 3: Frequently Asked Questions regarding Emerald Ash Borer 10

11 Exhibit 1 Map showing current Ash tree locations in the Village

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13 Exhibit 2 September/October 2012 Village News article entitled Emerald Ash Borer in Buffalo Grove

14 Emerald Ash Borer in Buffalo Grove The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has caused the death of million ash trees in North America since This pest was first found in Illinois in June of 2006, in Kane County. It was found in Buffalo Grove in September of Since then the Forestry Section has inspected and trimmed numerous ash trees throughout the Village; every ash tree which has been inspected has been confirmed to be infested with the Emerald Ash Borer. It is believed that Village ash trees are 100 percent infested. The Village has developed an Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan which describes the Village s management goals for the infestation, a copy of which can be found on the Village s web site: Ash Trees Ash trees have several green leaflets per leaf stem, usually seven. The leaflets are located directly across from each other with one leaflet on the end. The leaf shape is lanceolate, which means they are much longer than wide, broader below the middle and tapering to the top. EAB Symptoms Infestation of EAB can be difficult to detect until the branches of the tree start to die. Usually the leaves on the upper third of a tree will start to thin, and the branches will begin to die back. This is usually followed by a large number of shoots or branches arising below the dead portions of the trunk. Additional evidence of infestation includes the tiny D-shaped exit holes on the branches and the trunk. Distinct S-shaped larval feeding tunnels may also be apparent under the bark. EAB Response There are currently 7,000 ash trees located in public rights-of-way in the Village. The Village s response plan calls for the removal of all infested trees and reforestation with varied species of new trees. The removal and reforestation process will be handled in an assemblyline fashion, meaning that one crew will complete removals, another stump removal, and another crew to plant new trees. Due to the time necessary to complete tree and stump removals, in addition to the time needed to procure replacement trees, there will be a lag between the removal of trees/stumps and the planting of new trees. Village staff will be meeting with affected neighborhoods to address the timeline for removal and replacement and to answer resident s questions regarding the response plan. To date, the Public Works Forestry staff has been removing ash trees which are displaying the most damage from the pest. Most of the trees are 75 to 100 percent compromised. As the infestation progresses, the Village will be challenged to complete removals with its own crews, which may necessitate the hiring of private contractors to complete removal, site restoration and replanting activities. As entire neighborhoods succumb to the infestation, removal activities will shift from spot removal to area-wide removal, which will have a dramatic impact on the urban forest in Buffalo Grove neighborhoods. Reforestation The Village has estimated the total cost of managing the EAB infestation and reforestation program at $4.5 million. Parkway tree planting is taking place as funding becomes available. The Village has received two grants totaling $40,000 to help with the cost of tree replacement. Later this year, the Village Board will consider the establishment of a line of credit to finance the response plan. The Village has contracted with its preferred grower to plant trees at a fixed price for future replacements. These trees are expected to be ready for parkway planting in three years. As ash trees are removed they are added to a tree replacement list; trees will be replaced in the order that they are removed and when replacement trees have attained sufficient size and habit for transplanting. The variety of trees which will be planted include oak, hackberry, linden, locust, tulip tree, Kentucky Coffee tree, maple, elm, crab, horse chestnut, beech, buckeye and catalpa. To learn more about the specified trees, please visit the following web site for descriptions and growing habits of each species: browsetrees. The Village will also consider the establishment of a cooperative tree planting program, giving residents the opportunity to expedite tree replacement by contributing to the cost of the new tree and planting. EAB Treatment There are insecticides available which can control EAB, but none of them are guaranteed at this time. Due to the number of Village owned ash trees, the cost to treat infected trees and the lack of scientific evidence to support the efficacy of treatment, the Village will not be treating parkway trees for EAB. Residents may elect to have their parkway trees treated at their cost by a licensed arborist. If you decide to have your parkway ash tree(s) treated, it is required to provide the Public Works Department with the following information: Your name. Location of tree/s (address) Name, address and phone number of company treating the tree. Name of chemical used. Date Treated. This information is needed to prevent removal of your parkway tree(s) during the removal program. If the Village determines a parkway ash tree is a hazard, it will be removed regardless of any treatments that may have been provided for by the resident. For more information pertaining to the Emerald Ash Borer, visit the Illinois Department of Agriculture website at If you have questions about the Emerald Ash Borer, the Village s response plan or how this program may affect your neighborhood, please contact the Public Works Department at (847) Phone: bgpubwks@vbg.org Public Works 5 Buffalo Grove Village News September/October 2012

15 Exhibit 3 Frequently Asked Questions regarding Emerald Ash Borer

16 10/9/2012 Frequently Asked Questions regarding Emerald Ash Borer General Q. How do I know that the tree has Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)? A. The tree will start to decline from the top and will start to produce unsightly sucker growth lower in the tree. Wood pecker holes can also be an indicator of an infestation. Q. If my parkway tree has EAB, do the trees on my property have EAB as well? A. If there is an Ash on your property, chances are very high that the Ash is infested with EAB. EAB does not infest trees other than Ash. Q. Why did you trim the tree last month then take it down today? Why didn t you take it down then? A. Public Works (PW) staff trims all parkway trees on a standard cycle. Tree trimming in general gives PW the opportunity to evaluate every tree. If a hazardous tree is found while tree trimming crews move through a neighborhood it will be scheduled for removal. Q. Why is there a white painted dot on my tree? A. This means that the tree has EAB and will be scheduled for removal in near future. However, as it is believed that all Ash trees in the Village are currently infested, the lack of a paint dot is not an indicator of the lack of EAB infestation. Treatment Q. Why is the Village not treating their Ash trees? A. Due to the number of Village owned Ash trees, the cost to treat infected trees, and the lack of scientific evidence to support the efficacy of treatment, the Village will not be treating parkway trees for EAB. Q. Can I treat my tree? A. Residents can treat their parkway tree if they notify Public Works and submit the proper paper work. PW will require the resident s name, location and address of the treated trees, the name/address/phone number of the company treating the tree, the name of the chemical used, and the date treated. 1

17 10/9/2012 The Village of Buffalo Grove reserves the right to remove a treated tree if it becomes hazardous. Trees could also be removed for many reasons such as lightning strike, storm damage, auto accident, water main and sewer repairs, etc. Q. Is it worth it for me to treat my own tree on private property? A. That depends. It depends how much you enjoy that tree or trees. The beetle presence is still on the rise, and treatment may not be effective. Treatments can be very expensive over time, so residents are urged to get multiple quotes and work with companies with certified arborists. Removals Q. Why are you taking my parkway tree down, when my neighbor s tree looks worse? A. Some confirmed EAB trees do not look as bad as others. Before the Ash trees started to die at a faster rate than we could remove them, we were removing trees that were confirmed with EAB. Trees are confirmed with EAB in different ways. PW confirms trees while cycle trimming, through resident request work orders, and while removing broken/hazardous branches after storms come through. In some cases, there may not have been a reason to inspect the neighbor s tree before. Q. Why are you taking my Ash tree down, but you haven t taken Ash trees on Village properties yet? A. We have removed many Ash trees from Village owned or maintained properties. At this time we have removed Ash from all our fire stations and well houses. EAB has been detected at all these locations. Q. Why can t you wait until the trees die to remove them? A. Leaving a tree in a declining condition is very dangerous to the surrounding area. Removal of a dead tree is also more dangerous to us and it is more time consuming to remove. Removing trees before they die completely, makes a safer environment for everyone. Q. Do I have to pay the Village of Buffalo Grove to remove my parkway tree? A. The Village will remove and replace parkway trees that are infested, diseased, dead, dyeing, or hazardous at no additional cost to the resident. Q. Will you grind the stump when you take the tree down? A. Not at same time as removal. It might take several months before PW is able to complete stump grinding. After grinding the hole will be cleaned up and parkway will be restored. 2

18 10/9/2012 Q. When will the stump be removed? A. Stumps are ground when there are enough stumps in an area to grind. PW tries to grind stumps before a tree is replaced, but in some cases, stumps may be ground after the tree has been replaced. Q. Where happens to the wood of a removed tree? A. The chipped up wood is brought to a company that processes the chips into a desirable product. Larger wood is given to a local sawyer to be repurposed into usable product. Some chip is available for resident pick-up in the public works parking lot. The Village does not profit from the wood of removed trees. These avenues help us keep our debris related costs to a minimum. Replacements Q. When will my tree be replaced? A. Your location goes on a list according to the date of removal. Tree replacement takes place in the spring and the fall. The Village will attempt to replace trees within one year of removal. Q. What type of tree will be replanted? A. Over the last few years, the Village of Buffalo Grove has made many efforts to diversify the urban forest. We have been using the Illinois Department of Agriculture s recommended tree planting list for the northern Illinois area to help us diversify the parkway trees. It has been recommended that there should be no more than 20% of any one family of trees in the urban forest. With that in mind, we have almost halted the planting of Maple s or Honey Locust trees. Q. Can I have a certain kind of tree replanted? A. No, all trees to be replanted are selected by the Village of Buffalo Grove staff. Q. Can I replace the parkway tree myself? A. The Village does replace parkway trees at no cost to resident. If you want to purchase your own parkway tree, please contact Public Works and they can provide a list of trees to choose from that are appropriate to your location. The Village will have final say on the species of tree and once installed the tree will be owned and maintained by the Village as is the case for all parkway trees. Q. What if I do not want a tree replaced in my parkway? A. Contact public works and we will mark it as a no replacement in our tree inventory. 3

19 10/9/2012 Q. Why are the replacement trees so small? A. Smaller trees establish and acclimate to the environment much better. Smaller trees are also more cost effective to plant. Q. You removed my parkway tree, ground the stump, and restored the parkway, why is there no replacement tree? A. Trees are replaced as the budget allows. It may take more than one season to receive a parkway tree depending on how many trees were removed throughout the Village during a particular year. In some cases trees are not replaced due to site conditions. We consider underground utilities, overhead power lines, street lights, traffic lights, sewers, street signs, size of parkways, and distance from corner of intersections before selecting tree species or determining tree necessity at each location. Forcing trees into undesirable locations can create more work than necessary in the future. Q. After parkway is restored from stump grinding, why do I get grass seed instead of sod? A. Grass seed is a much more cost effective way of establishing grass. It also takes much less water to establish than sod does. Q. Do I have to water the replacement tree? A. Watering will help establish the tree. Caution goes to residents with irrigation systems: over-watering can be as bad as under-watering. If the tree has a Treegator bag around it, feel free to fill it up once or twice a week. 4